Just received (from Burning Shed) an announcement that Cherry Red are re-releasing The Associates third album, 'Perhaps', on January 31st 2020. This is a fabulous album despite the very messy money-and-time-wasting that went into making it and the absence of Alan Rankine edgy and melodramatic multi-instrumentalism. It somehow still manages to be totally smooth and weirdly wonky at the same time!
But keep listening all the way through to the end of the bonus material on disc 2 and you'll find the 7" and 12" versions of the non-album single 'Take Me To The Girl' featuring guitar from none other than Bill Nelson. Not the most obviously Bill-style song or guitar parts and the single is rather over-produced but these are the only surviving snatches (as far as we know) of the quite brief recording sessions for which Billy Mackenzie invited Bill Nelson to contribute to his recording career. There may be another two or three unreleased songs somewhere but even their titles are unknown, let alone the music itself. To me, the whole notion that two such contrasting geniuses ever worked together at all is quite mindstretching!
Hi Mike. One of my all time favorite songs ever is 'Part Fears Two'. It's in my top 10; always has been since 1982, always will be there. Club Country, Q Quarters and Tell Me Easter's on Friday are other favorites by the band.